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Finding Vegetable Seeds When you’re obtaining seeds to grow a vegetable garden for the first time, you may want to select them from a catalog specializing in vegetable gardening. These sources are typically ideal for beginners, as they provide useful information, better quality, and a wider selection. Start with familiar varieties that are easy to grow. The seeds should be ordered well in advance of planting time and after you have planned your gardening space and individual needs....

Propagating African Violets from Seed You can propagate African violets from seed, but it does require a couple of specific conditions. To sprout these tiny seeds, it’s good to use a light soil mixture of peat, vermiculite and greensand. A bit of Epsom salt can help to lighten the soil even more. It’s important that you have a warm space, so make sure your room temperature is between 65- and 75-degrees Fahrenheit (18-24 C....

What is a Plant Swap? A house plant swap is just what it sounds like: trading plants with friends, family, and neighbors. By trading cuttings or divisions from your successful houseplants, you can share with others and get new plants in return. How Does a Plant Swap Work? This is entirely up to you. You can talk to one neighbor and trade cuttings, or set up a larger event to get more variety and participants....

A scythe is a curved, sharp blade at the end of a long pole. It is used to trim grass and light brush. During use, the operator is standing and making controlled sweeps to cut plant material. The benefit of a grass cutting scythe is in the management it gives on high grasses without using fossil fuels. Scythes are also relatively inexpensive and readily available. Tips on Using a Scythe A scythe was used widely in Europe and North America up until the early 20th century....

What are Japanese Wineberries? Japanese wineberry plants (Rubus phoenicolasius) are non-native plants in North America, although they can be found from eastern Canada, New England and southern New York as well as into Georgia and west to Michigan, Illinois and Arkansas. Growing Japanese wineberries are native to East Asia, specifically northern China, Japan, and Korea. In these countries you are likely to find growing colonies of Japanese wineberries in lowland clearings, roadsides and mountain valleys....

Selecting Zone 9 Jasmine Plants When selecting a new plant specimen, it is a waste of time and money to treat it as an annual and simply let it die when the cold season arrives. That is why choosing a jasmine that is appropriate for your area is so important. Zone 9 jasmine must be cold hardy and tolerant of light freezes, which will occasionally happen. Site is also important but the ability of the plant and its roots to survive winter should be paramount....

Karl Foerster Feather Grass Info One of the big landscaping trends for the last decade has been the use of easy-care ornamental grasses. Karl Foerster feather reed grass (Calmagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’) is an excellent specimen around ponds, water gardens, and other moisture-laden sites. It is hardy throughout the United States Department of Agriculture zones 5 to 9 and has no serious pest or disease problems. Some tips on how to grow Foerster feather grass will have you on your way to enjoying this versatile plant in your garden....

Apple Harvest Times Apple harvest dates aren’t an exact science. They vary of course depending upon the variety but also on weather conditions. For instance, many apple producing regions recently had an unusually cool spring which prolonged dormancy, hence, a delayed harvest time. If you are wondering when to pick your own home grown apples you need to first know the variety and then the approximate harvest date. The harvest date may vary slightly year by year, but this list will give you a good gauge as to when to harvest....

How to Make Your Own Plant Fertilizer Plants take nutrition from soil, water and air and garden plants tend to deplete nutrients in soil. This is why we must replace them each year with plant fertilizer. For many years, home gardeners and farmers used “free” manure to fertilize their crops. Manure can still be purchased to dig into the garden and/or compost at ¼- to ½-inch (0.5 to 1 cm.) layers....

What is a Native Plant Seed Ball? A seed ball is a marble sized ball made of clay, earth and seeds which is used to replant areas where the natural flora has been destroyed. Also, referred to as seed bombs for guerrilla gardening, who it was who first developed how to make seed balls is a bit of a mystery. Some say it originated in Japan while others claim Greece, but the important thing is that the native plant seed ball has now been used around the world to reseed land that has been abused by man or by Mother Nature herself....

Mango Tree Propagation via Grafting Grafting of mango trees, or other trees, is the practice of transferring a piece of mature, bearing tree or scion to a separate seedling called rootstock. The scion becomes the canopy of the tree and the rootstock the lower trunk and root system. Mango tree grafting is the most reliable and economical method of mango propagation. There are several types of mango recommended for use as rootstock; both Kensington and common mango are suitable, and in South Florida, “Turpentine” is the recommended choice....

Overwintering Milkweed Plants With over 140 different types of milkweed, there are milkweeds that grow well in almost every hardiness zone. Winter care of milkweed depends on your zone and which milkweed you have. Milkweeds are herbaceous perennials that flower throughout the summer, set seed, and then naturally die back in fall, going dormant to sprout anew in spring. In summer, spent milkweed flowers can be deadheaded to prolong the blooming period....

How to Get Seeds from African Violets It is often easiest to simply buy your African violet seeds from a reputable online seller. African violets can be tricky when it comes to forming seeds and, even when they do, the plants grown from the seeds rarely look like the parent plant. Despite this, if you would still like to get seeds from your African violets, you will need to hand pollinate the plant....

Potting Soil Ingredients for Standard Soilless Potting Soil Most standard commercial potting soils contain three primary ingredients: Sphagnum peat moss – Peat moss holds moisture and releases it slowly to keep the roots moist for longer periods. Pine bark – Pine bark is slow to break down and its rough texture improves air circulation and moisture retention. Vermiculite or perlite – Vermiculite and perlite are both volcanic byproducts that lighten the mix and improve aeration....

Here is a listing of the most common diseases to know about with our rose bushes in my Rocky Mountain Area as well as other areas across the country. Following this common listing are a few other diseases that may need to be dealt with from time to time in some areas. Remember, a disease-resistant rose bush is not a disease-free rose bush; it is merely more resistant to disease....

Propagation of Holly Shrubs Holly cuttings are made from canes of new growth that have been removed from the holly bush. Once you have these canes, you can cut them into pieces about six inches (15 cm.) in length. Propagating holly should be done while the bush is dormant. If your holly is deciduous, this means your cuttings won’t have any leaves on them. Although they have no leaves, you will see bumps on the canes....

Salpiglossis Plant Info Painted tongue plants (Salpiglossis sinuata) are upright annuals with trumpet-shaped, petunia-like blooms. Painted tongue plants, which sometimes display more than one color on a single plant, come in various shades of red, reddish orange, and mahogany. Less common colors include purple, yellow, deep blue, and pink. Salpiglossis flowers, which are perfect for cut flower arrangements, can be even more spectacular when planted in groups. Salpiglossis plants reach a mature height of 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm....

Everyone recognizes the lovely fragrance of a honeysuckle plant and the sweet taste of its nectar. Honeysuckles are heat-tolerant and wildly attractive in any garden. A honeysuckle plant is a great addition to any landscape and will draw abundant wildlife with its sweet, yellow to bright-red blossoms. Honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) belong to a large family that consists of hardy shrubs and vines that grow in almost every state in America....

When Should I Transplant Tiger Lilies? Tiger lilies are vigorous perennial bulbs that bloom in summer. They may be white, yellow, or red, but are usually deeply orange with speckled petals. Plants may grow up to 4 feet (1 m.) tall and over time the number of blooms will increase. Tiger lilies can be propagated through bulbs, scales, bulbils, or seed, but the quickest and easiest method is through division of established bulbs....

State Flowers to Color the Garden United States state flower list information indicates that state flowers are not necessarily native to the state or even to the country. In fact, some adopted plants are not originally United States flowers, but have adapted well to the state that has chosen them. So why do states adopt state flowers in the first place? Official state flowers were chosen because of the beauty and color they provide, directing the gardener to use state flowers to color garden areas or surrounding landscape....